🟢 Trip Advisor's Top 10 Budget Friendly Hotels in Pigeon Forge! 🟢

Hi Everyone,

Let's dig into Trip Advisor's list here, of budget friendly hotels in Pigeon Forge.

While these properties have excellent guest ratings on TripAdvisor (all 4.5 stars or higher!), they may be pricier than some budget-minded travelers would prefer. The actual list has 192 properties in Pigeon Forge, so I am sure there is something there for everyone.

You can see the list here.  

Here is Tripadvisor.com's list of Top 10 'budget-friendly' hotels in Pigeon Forge.

Click each link to take you to the TripAdvisor entry for each property, in a new window.

1. Margaritaville Island Inn
2. Arbors at Island Landing Hotel & Suites
3. Margaritaville Island Hotel - Pigeon Forge
4. The Inn on the River
5. The Ramsey Hotel and Convention Center
6. Margaritaville Island Inn
7. Best Western Plaza Inn
8. Dollywood's DreamMore Resort & Spa
9. Creekstone Inn
10. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Pigeon Forge

🔵Blog Posts with other Helpful Trip Planning information

• Getting To Dollywood by Plane
• Hotels with High Ratings in Pigeon Forge.  I have created a spreadsheet that incorporates ratings from different reliable sources, and ranked hotels in the area.  I've listed out columns for things like indoor pools, hot tubs and more on the spreadsheet.  Very helpful if you, or someone in your group is looking for a specific amenity.
• Top Breakfast Restaurants in Pigeon Forge.  I have created a list of the best Breakfast restaurants in Pigeon Forge using ratings from various reliable sources, and ranked them in my blog post.
  
• 30 Great Places to Eat In Pigeon Forge that are open after 2pm! A list of highly rated establishments that are open past 2pm.
• Guide To Mountain Coasters - A look at all the types of mountain coasters in Sevier County.
• Dollywood's 2024 Operating Calendar
• 8 Things to do at Dollywood if you don't care for rides - There's a lot to do!
• Pigeon Forge Trolley Info You'll Want to Know!
• Tons of YouTube videos - I have so many YouTube videos of Dollywood including every festival and lots of general park updates as well as Big Bear Mountain footage.
• Check out my 2023 End of Year Recap to see all of my Dollywood videos from 2023.
• Check out my 2022 End of Year Recap to see all of my Dollywood videos from 2022.

What do you think about this Tripadvisor list?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Updates to "Hotels With High Ratings Blog Article"

Hi Everyone, 

I'm excited to announce that I've updated my blog post about the top hotels in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee! This is one of my most popular articles, and I know you all get a lot of use out of it. I love being able to help you out with practical information, and I hope you find this update helpful.

In the article you will see two new hotel newsy things that I share, but I will share them again here - since you're here and all.

1) A brand new Adult (Marriott Bonvoy) Hotel (Row 39) is scheduled to open in September 2023, and that may be of interest to some of you.  Read an article about it here:  https://tinyurl.com/4dhh7vaj

From the article: 

Get ready to go back in time for your vacation. Way back in time.

The Wayback is a groovy, retro-themed hotel mostly for adults opening in Pigeon Forge between Flapjack's Pancake Cabin and the Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride.

Inspired by old roadside motels in Palm Springs, the hotel is hoping to provide a "vibrant escape amidst the high energy of downtown Pigeon Forge."

The 134-room hotel is expected to open in early September, according to general manager Marty Rothchild, and is developed by Sevierville-based company Aatmos. It's a Tribute portfolio hotel, part of the Marriott family.

Marriott Bonvoy is Marriott's loyalty program for frequent guests. This hotel is geared towards its members, who enjoy a variety of amenities as part of their stay. Non-members are also welcome at this hotel, but they do not receive the same amenities as members. I wanted to point out this distinction so that you can make an informed decision about whether to become a Marriott Bonvoy member before booking your stay.

2) Country Cascades - Row 25 on Spreadsheet - Recently announced a new $14 million dollar expansion to its indoor water park offerings.  It's scheduled to open in 2025.  You can read more and see renderings here:  WATE TV news

Click On for the updates...

Updated article here- Click Here

Updated Spreadsheet - Click Here

Good Luck with your planning!

Fall Colors - When will the leaves change in the Smoky Mountain areas?

Hi Everyone,

Fall is one of, if not the best season in the Smoky Mountains!  I know I am not alone in thinking so, because it is full of visitors wishing to take in the majestic color transformations of the leaves,  and the weather is so nice and crisp. It is such a pleasant break from the heat of summer.

Naturally, everyone wants to time their Smoky Mountain vacation with peak leaf changes.  Obviously, that is no easy task to accomplish.  With that said, there are some experts in Environmental Science out there that study this very subject and they've got thoughts about when the peak time is.

This interactive map with the slider below it can help you decide about the timing of your trip.

Check out the interactive map here --> Smoky Mountain Foliage Map

Above is an image of what the map suggests will happen on September 26th.  Click the map at the link to move the slider left and right to see the timing for different dates.  Around September 26th you'll see some minor changes in the colors of the leaves making their way through this area.

Let's jump ahead by a month and see the changes, below.

Clearly, a big difference in one month's timeframe.  You will definitely be seeing the colors during this time - if the timing plays out as suggested by this map, but I can attest from living here long enough to know mid-to-late October is a great time to see color in the Smokies.

If you want to watch a video I produced in the Fall of 2021 of the Foothills Parkway, you can do that here.  Notice that the early parts of the video are at the lowest altitude of the trip, and around the Look Rock observation area-part of the video, you'll see the leaves are different than at the beginning.  From Look Rock, the elevation continues to climb and with that, you'll see more noticeable changes.  So, you may want to add a trip down the Foothills Parkway to your agenda.  I would describe the Foothills parkway as a road that runs on the adjacent ridgetop to the Smokies, so you are looking at the Smokies from the outside of the park.  Read my more comprehensive description on the YouTube page for probably too much info, lol.

You can watch that here, if you like:

Of course, Dollywood looks great in Fall Colors too.  And that is not limited to the timeframe of their Fall Festival.  I noticed in the video I produced of the Smoky Mountain Christmas that the leaves were still putting on a show well into November.  So, keep that in mind if your preferred dates don't work out for your trip.  

As I mentioned, November's foliage can still be impressive.  Check out the trees from the tram ride going into the park and even around the park further in the video.  Still pretty.

If you would like more information about this, then check this info out.  

• https://fox59.com/news/national-world/2022-leaf-peeping-guide-when-is-peak-fall-foliage/
  
• https://www.wate.com/news/smoky-mountains/fall-colors-forecast-smoky-mountains/
  
• Interactive Map Link - 2022 Fall Foliage Map & Nationwide Peak Leaf Forecast (smokymountains.com)
• Excellent Live View Webcam from the Chair Lift in Gatlinburg.  This is one of my favorite webcams from the Gatlinburg area.  Gatlinburg Skylift Webcam
• I have a blog post about Hotels in the Pigeon Forge area, all close to Dollywood.  Check that out here --> https://whatsupatdollywood.blogspot.com/2022/08/hotels-with-high-ratings-in-pigeon-forge.html
• Are you flying into the area to go to Dollywood?  Check out my blog post here about alternate airports to Knoxville's McGhee Tyson Airport.  Check that out here -->> https://whatsupatdollywood.blogspot.com/2022/07/getting-to-dollywood-by-plane.html
• Check out my YouTube channel for my show "What's Up At Dollywood".  I have tons of videos giving you a look at what you can experience at Dollywood all year long.   Check that playlist out here --> https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLumR0CRQrqoD20oYntBUmvHXy7MkvNcwM

I hope that helps you plan your Fall trip to the Smokies and Dollywood!  What is your favorite thing about Fall in the Smokies?  Please let me know in the comments below.

Until next time!

Wilderness At The Smokies Announces $40 Million dollar Expansion

 

Hi Everyone,

I see on social media that a lot of Dollywood fans are also big fans of the Wilderness At The Smokies waterpark resort.  And now there's going to be even more to love about Wilderness, because they have big expansion plans in the works.  They're adding a water coaster, a new lazy river, a ''cloud coaster'' that will go over parts of the Adventure Forest area, and a rooftop pool with a bar and grill.  As if that wasn't enough, Wilderness is building twelve 2,600 sq ft villas that can accommodate up to twelve guests.

Here is WATE's Report on this epic expansion:

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Tennessee’s largest indoor waterpark has announced plans for a $40-million expansion, the largest in the 15-year history of the Wilderness of the Smokies.

 

The Sevierville resort will add nearly 40,000 square feet to their Wild WaterDome indoor waterpark, offering several new attractions and improvements to existing amenities.

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held on September 15 with the project expected to be completed by fall 2023.

Headlining the renovations is the ‘Switchback Mountain,’ a three-story water coaster where riders will reach 29 miles per hour and feature a 22-foot drop. ‘

A release from the park said it will be the world’s first slide with Reverse AquaLucent effects, bringing eye-catching colors and patterns to the indoor park.

Other new attractions include the ‘Lookout Lagoon,’ a rooftop pool with a glass edge. The expanded rooftop area will also be home to an entertainment stage, bar and grill, and cabanas.

A new lazy river with LED color-changing kaleidoscope lighting and other visual effects will be constructed. The park will also add 500 seats to the waterpark and additional cabanas on the mezzanine and main levels.

In addition to the waterpark expansion, the resort will add a suspended ‘Cloud Coaster’ called the ‘Rocky Top Glider’ to the Adventure Forest section of the park. A park release said it will be the first of its kind in Tennessee and only the ninth in the world.

It will have a track length of approximately 400 linear feet with two lift hills, launching riders at a starting height of 18 feet with maximum heights of around 25 feet. This project is anticipated to be completed by Spring 2023 and the Adventure Forest will remain open during the construction.

An eight-person theater will also be added to the Adventure Forest, combining three-dimensional graphics and visual effects. The theater will be completed later this year.

The renovations will also expand food and beverage offerings throughout the park.

Lastly, the resort will construct a dozen, three-bedroom villas. These 2,600-square-foot villas will accommodate up to 12 guests, overlook the Sevierville Golf Course and are fully furnished with an electric fireplace, game room and pool table.

🏄🏄🏄🏄🏄

Here is the press release from Wilderness At The Smokies:

OUR WILD WATERDOME IS ABOUT TO GET BIGGER!

August 18, 2022

We’re super excited to announce that in honor of our 15th anniversary which we will be celebrating in 2023, we have started a 40,000 square foot expansion of our Wild WaterDome.

The expansion will include:

Switchback Mountain, a three-story water coaster which will feature three steep drops, uphill blasts, high speeds and the premier of the world’s first slide with Reverse AquaLucent effects with colorful, spellbinding patterns. These special tubes will also allow light to filter through, adding brightness to the Wild WaterDome.

According to Pete, our Managing Director, “Switchback Mountain is guaranteed to be amazing! To get riders’ adrenaline pumping, the water coaster begins with a heart-pounding 22-foot drop at 29 mph before propelling the riders up into a right hairpin turn inside the first Reverse AquaLucent section. A second drop will follow into an open flume, followed by an uphill blast into a sharp left turn inside another Reverse AquaLucent tube with different patterns. For thrill’s sake, the coaster will repeat a third time into a final set of patterns inside another Reverse AquaLucent tube. To round out the sensations, riders will loop through a dark tube before finishing in an open flume.”

The waterpark expansion will also include Forbidden Caverns Lazy River, featuring an immersive tunnel experience complete with LED color changing kaleidoscope lighting, mirrors and projections.

Finally, the resort will be taking advantage of the waterpark’s expanded rooftop by adding Lookout Lagoon, a roof top pool with a glass edge. This area will also be home to the Peak Rooftop Bar and Grill, three rooftop cabanas and entertainment stage area. For convenience, an elevator will transport guests to and from this area.

Pete adds that per guest’s requests, the resort will be adding 500 seats to the waterpark, six additional cabanas on the mezzanine level of the waterpark and nine additional on the main level.

The anticipated completion of this expansion is fall of 2023. Watch our blog for other developments in the works!

🏄🏄🏄🏄🏄

Wow, well that is a lot to look forward to!  With the new Soaky Mountain Water Park and now these new additions to Wilderness, there will be a lot to see and do at this location.  What are you looking forward to the most?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Until next time!

Hotels with High Ratings in Pigeon Forge

Update August 11, 2023, for the 2023-2024 planning period.

Hi Everyone!

I have updated the spreadsheet for the next year.   I have double checked all of the ratings from Google and Trip Advisor and updated that information.  There were more movers on the list than I had anticipated, so I made another column to the right of my Average Column to indicate whether the property moved up or down the list.  The biggest mover was Camp Margaritaville Resort, which fell to Row 19 from Row 4.  What may have happened was this property was brand new a year ago and its possible that fewer reviews were in at that time, and now that has changed a year later.

Two New Hotel Things to Note...

1) A brand new Adult (Marriott) Hotel is scheduled to open in September 2023, and that may be of interest to some of you.  Read an article about it here:  https://tinyurl.com/4dhh7vaj

From the article: 

Get ready to go back in time for your vacation. Way back in time.

The Wayback is a groovy, retro-themed hotel mostly for adults opening in Pigeon Forge between Flapjack's Pancake Cabin and the Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride.

Inspired by old roadside motels in Palm Springs, the hotel is hoping to provide a "vibrant escape amidst the high energy of downtown Pigeon Forge."

The 134-room hotel is expected to open in early September, according to general manager Marty Rothchild, and is developed by Sevierville-based company Aatmos. It's a Tribute portfolio hotel, part of the Marriott family.

2) Country Cascades - Row 25 on Spreadsheet - Recently announced a new $14 million dollar expansion to its indoor water park offerings.  It's scheduled to open in 2025.  You can read more and see renderings here:  WATE TV news

🟠 🟠 🟠 🟠 🟠

Original Post is Below 

Hi Everyone,

I see many requests for hotel suggestions on social media, so I thought I would do some research and create a post that can serve as a good starting point for anyone looking for a hotel near Dollywood.

I began by narrowing the choices to Pigeon Forge to make the list more manageable. I excluded Gatlinburg and included only one hotel option in Sevierville, which is very close to Dollywood.  Not every single hotel in Pigeon Forge is listed.

I created a column that averages the Google Rating and the Trip Advisor Rating.  This column is sorted by the average rating, so you can easily find the best-rated hotels.  I also created columns for the most requested features, such as a lazy river, indoor pool, hot tubs, balcony, fireplace, Trolley Stop, pet friendly, etc.  There are also four columns of notes where I have added some info that you might find helpful, and in some cases firsthand reviews that I have seen on social media.  There is a column that indicates the distance of each property from Dollywood, if that's important to you.   Please though, if your child or child-at-heart are dead set on having a lazy river, as one example, please make sure to follow up with the property to make sure that the lazy river is operational and will be operational during your stay.   

Unfortunately, due to the limitations of Google Blogger with creating tables and spreadsheets, it is not feasible to upload the table to this blog post and call it day.  Instead, I've created a view-only link to my google spreadsheet.  From there, you can sort or filter the columns and results any way you like.  Want the places with indoor pools?  Sort it that way.  Closest to Dollywood?  Sort it that way too.  Pet Friendly - same idea.  You can even download my spreadsheet and make it your own!

I did not include pricing information due to fluctuations with the seasons and even during the season the prices can vary, so that will be one additional step for you in your research.

If you're undecided on a timeframe to visit Pigeon Forge, this article from US News offers a lot of considerations you may want think about - read that here..

Before researching for this post, I had not given much thought to the difference between what a Whirlpool and a Jacuzzi is, but there is a difference.  It seems that Whirlpools are not as common as Jacuzzi's are in this area, but people use both words to describe them...and sometimes they say hot tub too, to make it more confusing.  I've done my best to differentiate all three in my spreadsheet.

If you would like me to add your firsthand experience about a property, I would be glad to do so.  Just email me at whatsupatdollywood@gmail.com.  Likewise, if you see any information that is incorrect, email me that too.  

Click Here -->LINK TO GOOGLE SPREADSHEET

Again, please double check to make sure that the pools, jacuzzies, hot tubs ETC are all operational before you book so you'll know - especially if that is super important to someone in your group.  

Disclaimer - I am not affiliated with any hotel, inn, motel, lodge, campground, cabin, or Dollywood.  I'm a vlogger/blogger who is interested in helping you save time and money on your trip to our area, and hopefully helping you create a great experience that you'll want to come back and have again and again....and growing my YouTube channel and this blog 😁😁😁

Check out my blog for other helpful resources for your Dollywood trip...

• Best Breakfast Locations in Pigeon Forge
• Dollywood First Time Visitor Tips
• Getting to Dollywood by Plane
• Pigeon Forge Trolley to Dollywood
• Dollywood's Menus 2023
• Proposing At Dollywood?
• Big Bear Mountain - A new roller coaster for 2023 in Wildwood Grove

Check out my YouTube Page and Dollywood playlist for lots of different Dollywood videos, different festivals, walking tours, etc etc.  Find us on Facebook too!

• https://www.youtube.com/c/JeffBurkhardt
• YT Dollywood Playlist
• Facebook Page - What's Up At Dollywood.  

Please Like my Videos and Subscribe to my YouTube Channel, follow my blog and Follow me on Facebook!  You can copy my RSS Feed into your favorite feeder (mine are Feedly & The Old Reader) - paste this link https://whatsupatdollywood.blogspot.com/=RSS

Until next time!