Looking to save time, money, & a little sanity when planning that Pigeon Forge, Tennessee family vacation? Then be sure to check out The Best Way to Book Your Favorite Pigeon Forge Attractions...
This post was created in partnership with TripAdvisor. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.
When you think back on some of your favorite family vacations & road trips, what is it about those particular trips that set them apart from the others? What made those vacations more memorable for you and your family? For myself & my kids, it is always about the experiences we had there- the things we did & saw, the one-of-a-kind attractions at that particular destination, and the memories we made while enjoying them all together.
Obviously the getting there (road trip? plane ride? train ticket?) and booking a place to stay are also important when planning a memorable family vacation, but as soon as I have those two things squared away I start turning my attention to the must-do's & must-see's at that particular destination. That is where TripAdvisor's Things To Do tab comes in handy! :)
Just last week my kids & I headed to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for a 3 day cabin getaway. A week or so before our trip date, I clicked on over to TripAdvisor to check out the reviews on some of the most popular attractions in the area & to book tickets for a couple of them in advance...
Using TripAdvisor to book attractions is super easy to do. Just click on the Things to do tab at the top of the main page, and then type in your desired destination in the search field. To find which attractions & tours you can book directly on TripAdvisor, just click Shop Tours & Tickets under the Types of Things to Do header.
Once you have have clicked on Shop Tours & Tickets, a list of attractions, experiences, & tours you can book directly on TripAdvisor will come up. Scroll through, click on the ones you are interested in, & then check out reviews from fellow travelers. When you are ready to purchase your tickets or book your tour, just click to Check Availability & book your attraction for your desired date and/or time. You can print off your tickets or vouchers or bring them up on your cell phone through the mobile TripAdvsior app. Easy, peasy! :)
So which Pigeon Forge attractions did we end up booking through TripAdvisor? Keep reading below to find out!
Our Must-Book Attraction #1: The Titanic Museum Pigeon Forge
If you happen to be a history buff (me!) or a fan of the movie (and again me!), then booking a boarding pass at the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge is a definite must-do for you and your family. The museum itself is located inside a half-scale model of the Titanic ship.
Once inside, you will be greeted by a first class maid who will exchange your TripAdvisor voucher for a boarding pass of an actual passenger or crew member who was on board the Titanic that fateful night in April 1912. Before the end of your tour of the museum, you will find out if your assigned passenger or crew member survived the Titanic tragedy.
The museum itself is filled with over 400 artifacts recovered from the actual debris & wreckage of the Titanic- everything from White Star line dishes to personal effects like pocket watches & hair combs. There are also plenty of hands-on exhibits for the kids. My daughter loved touching a real iceberg. Both of the kids tried their luck at walking on the reproductions of the ship's deck that are sloped to match the angles of the Titanic as it sank. Personally, I was enthralled with the intricately detailed reproduction of the Grand Staircase that museum patrons were allowed to climb.
A few things to know before you go:
- Purchasing your ticket vouchers online beforehand on TripAdvisor allowed us to skip right to the boarding line & forgo the ticket purchase line. Definitely worth it especially when the museum is busy!
- There is no photography allowed inside the museum, so leave that point & shoot or DSLR in the car! You can take photos of the outside of the museum & of the world's largest Titanic model made from LEGOS located inside the museum. They do offer souvenir photos if you would like a photo of you and the family in front of the Grand Staircase or on the bridge of the ship.
Our Must-Do Attraction #2: The Coaster at Goats on the Roof
If you do just one attraction during your visit to Pigeon Forge, then definitely make sure that you ride at least one alpine coaster. Our personal favorite was The Coaster at Goats on the Roof because it wasn't just an alpine coaster. This coaster attraction also offers an extensive gift shop, goat feeding, a gem mine, & an ice cream shop. You and the family could easily spend a couple of hours here.
The coaster itself is a gravity-driven bobsled style coaster that can reach speeds nearing 30 miles per hour. But no worries for those who are a little nervous of the speeds or the heights- they provide you with nifty hand brakes in case you want to slow down a little. ;)
The first part of the ride is a leisurely climb up the mountain giving you a little time to sit back, relax, & enjoy the mountain views. But once you reach the top, that is when the thrills start! You zip down the mountain banking into twists & turns. Once you have enjoyed your first ride down the mountain, you can immediately go for a second round for just $5.
My daughter loved the coaster, but I think that getting to feed the goats may have been her favorite part of The Coaster at Goats on the Roof. There are penned goats that you can feed by hand at ground level, but why stop there when you can feed the goats on the roof with a bicycle-powered conveyor belt?
A few things to know before you go:
- Leave your purse & any larger items in the car since you will not be permitted to take them with you on the coaster. I do recommend slipping a credit card or a little cash into one of your pockets so you can buy the $5 second round on the coaster and/or a souvenir photo for $10.
- You can purchase a souvenir cup full of goat food in the gift shop for $3. You can get a refill on the goat food for just $1!
- When booking your ride tickets through TripAdvisor, you only need to select a specific date and not a specific time. I loved the flexibility of that.
So why use TripAdvisor to book attractions, tours, & experiences for your next family vacation or getaway?
Here are a few of the advantages:
- You can book your tickets & tours at any time! Purchase them months before, a week before, a day before, and even the day of. Some attractions on TripAdvisor even offer skip the line options that you can buy while you are standing in line!
- They offer a low price guarantee. If you happen to find a lower price for that same attraction or tour within 72 hours of booking on TripAdvisor, they will refund you the price difference.
- Get exclusive VIP access to behind-the-scenes passes, private viewings, & skip the line opportunities.
- You get access to TripAdvisor's 24-7 customer service support team.
Have you visited Pigeon Forge before? What are some of your family's favorite attractions there?
Have you ever used TripAdvisor to book tickets for an attraction or tour before? If so, what was your experience like?
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