We went to Magiquest while in Tennessee. If you look at the website, it looks a lot like Wizard Quest that we did at the Dells last year, which was a huge disappointment for us. I was really hesitant to attempt this attraction because I didn't want to be disappointed again. After much persuasion, I relented to go and see what the deal was. I also commented that, worst case, this place just opened a few months ago so things shouldn't be broken yet. In addition to the "quest" aspect, they also had other things like black light pirate mini golf, a mirror maze and "The Vault". They offer several pricing options that include an "all you can play option" for $32.99 per person. It gets you 90 minutes of questing and one pass at each of the other attractions. You can also pay for each item individually or get just an upstairs pass for questing or just a downstairs pass for the other items.
Because of our bad experience with Wizard Quest, we chose not to quest but we did purchase a downstairs pass for all of us. We started by doing "The Vault" which is just a darkened room with laser beams requires no small amount of agility. Basically, like breaking into a bank vault, it requires you to climb over and under the beams without setting them off. MT, who was a little freaked at the idea of going into the dark room, totally rocked it. There is something to be said for being little and wily.
After "The Vault", we did the mirror maze. As we entered, they had everyone put on plastic gloves to keep finger prints off the mirrors and not ruin it for everyone else. It was a huge maze, with lots of flashing lights and loud music. There is one room that was just a big open room, with mirrors all the way around. It was outrageously funny to watch other people stand in the room and swing their arms to try and find the mirrors so they didn't run into them. The maze ends with a forest of mirrors. They are mirrors set in tree like frames and is by far the most difficult part of the maze to navigate. The kids and I and my brother made it through fine but my parents got lost and my brother had to go back and get them.
We then spent an hour playing mini golf. Generally, I'm not a fan of mini golf but I AM a fan of pirates and black lights are pretty cool too. They had plenty of selections of sizes of golf clubs, so everyone could get one that could fit them. The course was easy enough for the kids but still enjoyable for the adults. There were several screens in the room that played various videos as well so you had something to do while you waited for your turn.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with how much fun we had. I'm also glad that we didn't spend the time questing, even if I was a little curious about how it stacked up to Wizard Quest. This attraction gets 4 stars.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Star Cars Museum
With our admission to the Hollywood Wax Museum, we purchased a combo pass that allowed us admission to the Star Cars Museum for a reduced price.
This museum offers a glimpse inside famous cars including the Jurassic Park truck
the truck from M.A.S.H
and the Delorean for Back to the Future
among other famous cars. Mostly it is a "look and read" museum as opposed to a "touch and feel" museum. The kids were kind of bored and we hurried through because I'm not remotely interested in cars.
Overall, I give this 3 stars. This would be really great for car freaks because all of the details of some of the most famous cars in the world are laid out for their examination.
This museum offers a glimpse inside famous cars including the Jurassic Park truck
the truck from M.A.S.H
and the Delorean for Back to the Future
among other famous cars. Mostly it is a "look and read" museum as opposed to a "touch and feel" museum. The kids were kind of bored and we hurried through because I'm not remotely interested in cars.
Overall, I give this 3 stars. This would be really great for car freaks because all of the details of some of the most famous cars in the world are laid out for their examination.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Hollywood Wax Museum
We went to the Hollywood Wax Museum I'm apparently some kind of anomaly in that I really thing wax museums are cool. This one has the distinction of being even cooler by not simply having you walk through and look at stuff. It dresses it's mannequins as their characters and poses them on a set, where visitors can join them for picture taking. They also have mostly recent celebrities ranging from the Pop Divas
To Hugh Hefner
To Jeff Gordon
To the new Charlie's Angels
They also have a horror chamber, which is set in an alcove away from the other sets. That is especially nice for younger kids who might be frightened by the scenes inside. Although it is expensive, it is pretty fun and they do offer a discount if you purchase Star Cars tickets as well.
Overall, it was a funny, silly way to kill about 45 minutes, especially if you have kids, or adults that act like kids, who are willing to pose on the various sets. This attraction gets 3.5 stars because of the limited time the enjoyment lasts, the cost involved, and the fact that some of the mannequins were so poorly rendered I had a hard time figuring out who they were supposed to be.
To Hugh Hefner
To Jeff Gordon
To the new Charlie's Angels
They also have a horror chamber, which is set in an alcove away from the other sets. That is especially nice for younger kids who might be frightened by the scenes inside. Although it is expensive, it is pretty fun and they do offer a discount if you purchase Star Cars tickets as well.
Overall, it was a funny, silly way to kill about 45 minutes, especially if you have kids, or adults that act like kids, who are willing to pose on the various sets. This attraction gets 3.5 stars because of the limited time the enjoyment lasts, the cost involved, and the fact that some of the mannequins were so poorly rendered I had a hard time figuring out who they were supposed to be.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies
We went to Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies and it was COOL! It was awfully crowded and they layout of the exhibits didn't promote much space but a lot of it was super neat. Tickets are purchased outside and then enter the main hall. You can overlook the discovery area, which is more hands on than the rest of aquarium. The first really cool exhibit you get to is Shark Lagoon, where you can look down into the shark tank see these bad boys swimming around
It is a large enclosure, with fake rocks placed around it for kids to stand on and see in. They also have glass walls around so the kids can look in that way as well. You continue around the enclosure and down into a room with an floor to ceiling window so you can see large groups of tropical fish. As we walked into the room, people were sitting down to watch a dive show so we joined in and watched a bit of the feeding time. There are several dive shows throughout the day, in various tanks.
We watched the diver for a few minutes, then moved on into what is by far the best feature of the whole aquarium. It is a moving sidewalk that runs through a tunnel under Shark Lagoon. You can stand on the sidewalk and look up as fish swim above and around you. Not only do you see the fish, you also see sharks
who will swim right up in your face. There is actually a place on the tunnel that is scratched and a plaque indicating that it is from an irritated shark who attacked the glass! I'm glad I wasn't the person standing there when that happened! You also see sawnoses, that aren't sharks but are beasts in their own right.
This one is draped across the top of the tunnel and measured nearly seven feet long!
After you leave the tunnel, you can play in the discovery center, which has horseshoe crabs you can touch, tanks you can climb into the middle of and a small aquatic themed play space. Then you move on to the weapons of the water, where they talk about sting rays, jelly fish, etc. Anything that has some kind of defense. Beyond those displays, you get to Stingray Bay, which is a 12 foot deep stingray enclosure. The viewing window is directly in front of the eating area for the Feeding Frenzy restaurant, that way, you can have your lunch or snack and still get to see the stingrays play.
We stopped and ate a snack at Feeding Frenzy, just as the stingray dive show was starting. My brother ate an actual meal, while the rest of us had snacks. The fair was pretty standard with soft pretzels, pizza, burgers, chicken fingers and pop. The cost was about average for typical tourist attractions, which runs about $7 for a meal and $4 for the pretzel
We continued past, at which point as you follow the hallway, you can see into various points of Stingray Bay. At the top of the hall, you reach Touch a Ray Bay, where the water is shallow and you can lean over the rocks and touch the rays. That was were we found the option to upgrade our tickets to "splash with the stingrays". We opted to pay the 16 extra dollars to actually get in the water with the rays. We started by meeting with our dive instructor (although we weren't actually diving, merely kneeling) who took us to a classroom so we could learn more about the rays before we got in the water. We learned that the rays there do not have stingers. They either surgically remove them or clip them every few months. Then we were taken back up, where we were fitted with wetsuits and booties and got in the water. It was a little cool (the tank is kept about 70 degrees) but it was really fun. My brother, TB and I really liked it but MT got freaked. There was one ray that was probably 3 feet across and had a tail almost as long. It kept bumping her and trailing its tail on her and she didn't like it. Several of the rays were really attracted to my brother who let them suck on his hands!
After that, it was trip through the gift shop, then on to other destinations for the day.
Overall, I give this attraction 4.5 stars. It was super fun, it offered food, there were hands on things to do, and plenty to keep everyone entertained.
It is a large enclosure, with fake rocks placed around it for kids to stand on and see in. They also have glass walls around so the kids can look in that way as well. You continue around the enclosure and down into a room with an floor to ceiling window so you can see large groups of tropical fish. As we walked into the room, people were sitting down to watch a dive show so we joined in and watched a bit of the feeding time. There are several dive shows throughout the day, in various tanks.
We watched the diver for a few minutes, then moved on into what is by far the best feature of the whole aquarium. It is a moving sidewalk that runs through a tunnel under Shark Lagoon. You can stand on the sidewalk and look up as fish swim above and around you. Not only do you see the fish, you also see sharks
who will swim right up in your face. There is actually a place on the tunnel that is scratched and a plaque indicating that it is from an irritated shark who attacked the glass! I'm glad I wasn't the person standing there when that happened! You also see sawnoses, that aren't sharks but are beasts in their own right.
This one is draped across the top of the tunnel and measured nearly seven feet long!
After you leave the tunnel, you can play in the discovery center, which has horseshoe crabs you can touch, tanks you can climb into the middle of and a small aquatic themed play space. Then you move on to the weapons of the water, where they talk about sting rays, jelly fish, etc. Anything that has some kind of defense. Beyond those displays, you get to Stingray Bay, which is a 12 foot deep stingray enclosure. The viewing window is directly in front of the eating area for the Feeding Frenzy restaurant, that way, you can have your lunch or snack and still get to see the stingrays play.
We stopped and ate a snack at Feeding Frenzy, just as the stingray dive show was starting. My brother ate an actual meal, while the rest of us had snacks. The fair was pretty standard with soft pretzels, pizza, burgers, chicken fingers and pop. The cost was about average for typical tourist attractions, which runs about $7 for a meal and $4 for the pretzel
We continued past, at which point as you follow the hallway, you can see into various points of Stingray Bay. At the top of the hall, you reach Touch a Ray Bay, where the water is shallow and you can lean over the rocks and touch the rays. That was were we found the option to upgrade our tickets to "splash with the stingrays". We opted to pay the 16 extra dollars to actually get in the water with the rays. We started by meeting with our dive instructor (although we weren't actually diving, merely kneeling) who took us to a classroom so we could learn more about the rays before we got in the water. We learned that the rays there do not have stingers. They either surgically remove them or clip them every few months. Then we were taken back up, where we were fitted with wetsuits and booties and got in the water. It was a little cool (the tank is kept about 70 degrees) but it was really fun. My brother, TB and I really liked it but MT got freaked. There was one ray that was probably 3 feet across and had a tail almost as long. It kept bumping her and trailing its tail on her and she didn't like it. Several of the rays were really attracted to my brother who let them suck on his hands!
After that, it was trip through the gift shop, then on to other destinations for the day.
Overall, I give this attraction 4.5 stars. It was super fun, it offered food, there were hands on things to do, and plenty to keep everyone entertained.
Friday, August 7, 2009
WonderWorks
While we were in Pigeon Forge, we saw many advertisements for WonderWorks. We spent a lot of time saying that we didn't want to go there because we had basically been there and done that in Wisconsin Dells at the Upside Down White House. My brother, who wasn't able to go to the Dells finally flat out insisted that we at least go in and check it out. Fortunately, we listened to him because WW turned out to be a LOT of fun.
The building is built upside and the lobby inside (the ticketing area) was also upside down. The building creaks and groans a little but looks pretty neat. After paying $19.95 for adults and $12.95 for kids, we entered the "inversion tunnel" which took us into the upside down part of the house. It is a dark spinning tunnel and causes some pretty severe disorientation. TB closed his eyes and held my hand and I basically drug him through. Apparently, my mom did the same thing and let my brother drag her :) WW is a cross between a children's museum and a simulator ride. In the first room, they have an earthquake simulator, where up to six people can take a seat at the Quake cafe and experience and earthquake. After we got all shook up, we took a turn in the hurricane simulator, dipped our hands in water that simulated the temperatures Titanic survivors endured and climbed the rock wall. TB really rocked, although MT and I sure tried our best. Beyond that is a space room with some shuttles to climb in and play with the buttons. In the next room is projectors and motion sensors and some of the coolest exhibits. There was an air hockey table, that didn't have a puck. It is a projection and you use your hands to block and push the shadow puck around. There were motion rooms, giant Simon games, steady hand wires, a bubble room and a bed of nails. Then we played "Mind Ball" where the player puts on a headband that measures alpha and theta brain waves and the person who has the calmest brain waves pushes the ball at the other person and eventually wins. Apparently my brain waves fires like monkey on crack because my brother beat me soundly in a matter of seconds.
The second floor is mainly optical illusions and other things like that. TB was much more interested in this floor than MT. She ran right one by, while he was willing to stop and look, at least for a few seconds. We did get to see a cool bathroom with clear glass while it was unlocked and smoked glass when it was locked. Beyond the exhibits was an arcade and laser tag. We chose to upgrade our ticket to include laser tag because the kids love it. We played a game and then headed out for lunch, with the ability to come back later that evening and play again for less per game.
Overall, WonderWorks wasn't your average children's museum. It had some standard exhibits, like the bubble room but it had a lot more stuff that you wouldn't expect, like the simulators and rock climbing. This attraction earns a full 4 stars for being super fun for all of us as well as educational.
I would recommend this as an attraction for 5 and up or kids that are used to going to children's museums and understand that some things require explaining. MT really enjoyed it, but I could see this being too much for some younger kids. It was awfully crowded and very young children or people with sensory issues might get overwhelmed quickly.
The building is built upside and the lobby inside (the ticketing area) was also upside down. The building creaks and groans a little but looks pretty neat. After paying $19.95 for adults and $12.95 for kids, we entered the "inversion tunnel" which took us into the upside down part of the house. It is a dark spinning tunnel and causes some pretty severe disorientation. TB closed his eyes and held my hand and I basically drug him through. Apparently, my mom did the same thing and let my brother drag her :) WW is a cross between a children's museum and a simulator ride. In the first room, they have an earthquake simulator, where up to six people can take a seat at the Quake cafe and experience and earthquake. After we got all shook up, we took a turn in the hurricane simulator, dipped our hands in water that simulated the temperatures Titanic survivors endured and climbed the rock wall. TB really rocked, although MT and I sure tried our best. Beyond that is a space room with some shuttles to climb in and play with the buttons. In the next room is projectors and motion sensors and some of the coolest exhibits. There was an air hockey table, that didn't have a puck. It is a projection and you use your hands to block and push the shadow puck around. There were motion rooms, giant Simon games, steady hand wires, a bubble room and a bed of nails. Then we played "Mind Ball" where the player puts on a headband that measures alpha and theta brain waves and the person who has the calmest brain waves pushes the ball at the other person and eventually wins. Apparently my brain waves fires like monkey on crack because my brother beat me soundly in a matter of seconds.
The second floor is mainly optical illusions and other things like that. TB was much more interested in this floor than MT. She ran right one by, while he was willing to stop and look, at least for a few seconds. We did get to see a cool bathroom with clear glass while it was unlocked and smoked glass when it was locked. Beyond the exhibits was an arcade and laser tag. We chose to upgrade our ticket to include laser tag because the kids love it. We played a game and then headed out for lunch, with the ability to come back later that evening and play again for less per game.
Overall, WonderWorks wasn't your average children's museum. It had some standard exhibits, like the bubble room but it had a lot more stuff that you wouldn't expect, like the simulators and rock climbing. This attraction earns a full 4 stars for being super fun for all of us as well as educational.
I would recommend this as an attraction for 5 and up or kids that are used to going to children's museums and understand that some things require explaining. MT really enjoyed it, but I could see this being too much for some younger kids. It was awfully crowded and very young children or people with sensory issues might get overwhelmed quickly.
Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride
Driving down the strip in Pigeon Forge, we spotted what looked like a really cool attraction. It was the Jurassic Jungle Boat and it looks really neat from the outside. MT was a little apprehensive about it, but we assured her that it was similar to the Scooby Doo tunnel ride at Six Flags; a little dark, maybe a little spooky but nothing scary, it is just dinosaurs, no biggie. TB was pretty excited about it because he had done nothing but talk about Dinosaur World (another review coming up soon) so this was like a preview of a later event for him.
The outside of the building had a few small dinosaurs that moved a little but nothing too intense. We asked about whether people would get wet on the ride and if it was scary and were assured that there might be a splash of water and that it was absolutely not scary. We paid the $13 per adult and hopped on the boat. Our first clue that all was not as it seemed should have been the fact that the "tourists" standing and checking out the ride, were actually mannequins.
The ride started and the first thing that happened was all the lights went off. Not a happy beginning but then some ground lights came on and there was an innocent looking plant eating dinosaur. Just as everyone was looking in that direction, the music changed and the lights came on on the other side, to show a meat eater stalking the plant eater. Pretty standard dinosaur stuff. The boat continued on, into further blackness, were suddenly something that looked like a mutant saber tooth tiger leapt out of the wall above the heads of the people on the right side of the boat (including TB). By this time, the kids were both pretty scared but we assured them that it was ok and nothing would hurt them. As we continued through the hurky jerky ride, in near total darkness, we encountered larger and scarier "dinosaurs", most of which looked nothing like dinosaurs. Several looked more like winged demons. At one point, you encounter a small dinosaur who spits water on the boat, you continue along to encounter giant snakes, spiders, a larger spitting dinosaur who splashes some foul water in the faces of the most of the boat and a gigantic "pterodactyl" who seems to be commanding minions to attack boats of people. The final moments of the ride involve the boat pulling up to the exit doors and then rising up on a lift until you feel like you are about to tip over. Once your boat is several feet in the air, a large dinosaur head pops out o the wall near your head and sticks out it's forked tongue and roars for what felt like minutes.
About the time we hit the small spitter (not quite halfway through the ride) both kids were completely terrified. They were both sobbing and crying and TB had his head buried in my side with both hands clamped over his eyes and begged me to cover his ears. By the time we finally made it to the car, he was mess and cried most of the way back to the hotel and talked about how scary it was the whole rest of the trip.
Overall, this ride was terrible. It cost too much, it wasn't fun or interesting for the adults, it terrified the kids and it was terribly maintained. Several of the creatures had holes, a lot of the lighting didn't work properly, etc. This attraction gets 1 star and I recommend you stay far far away from it should you have the opportunity to visit Pigeon Forge.
The outside of the building had a few small dinosaurs that moved a little but nothing too intense. We asked about whether people would get wet on the ride and if it was scary and were assured that there might be a splash of water and that it was absolutely not scary. We paid the $13 per adult and hopped on the boat. Our first clue that all was not as it seemed should have been the fact that the "tourists" standing and checking out the ride, were actually mannequins.
The ride started and the first thing that happened was all the lights went off. Not a happy beginning but then some ground lights came on and there was an innocent looking plant eating dinosaur. Just as everyone was looking in that direction, the music changed and the lights came on on the other side, to show a meat eater stalking the plant eater. Pretty standard dinosaur stuff. The boat continued on, into further blackness, were suddenly something that looked like a mutant saber tooth tiger leapt out of the wall above the heads of the people on the right side of the boat (including TB). By this time, the kids were both pretty scared but we assured them that it was ok and nothing would hurt them. As we continued through the hurky jerky ride, in near total darkness, we encountered larger and scarier "dinosaurs", most of which looked nothing like dinosaurs. Several looked more like winged demons. At one point, you encounter a small dinosaur who spits water on the boat, you continue along to encounter giant snakes, spiders, a larger spitting dinosaur who splashes some foul water in the faces of the most of the boat and a gigantic "pterodactyl" who seems to be commanding minions to attack boats of people. The final moments of the ride involve the boat pulling up to the exit doors and then rising up on a lift until you feel like you are about to tip over. Once your boat is several feet in the air, a large dinosaur head pops out o the wall near your head and sticks out it's forked tongue and roars for what felt like minutes.
About the time we hit the small spitter (not quite halfway through the ride) both kids were completely terrified. They were both sobbing and crying and TB had his head buried in my side with both hands clamped over his eyes and begged me to cover his ears. By the time we finally made it to the car, he was mess and cried most of the way back to the hotel and talked about how scary it was the whole rest of the trip.
Overall, this ride was terrible. It cost too much, it wasn't fun or interesting for the adults, it terrified the kids and it was terribly maintained. Several of the creatures had holes, a lot of the lighting didn't work properly, etc. This attraction gets 1 star and I recommend you stay far far away from it should you have the opportunity to visit Pigeon Forge.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Smoky Mountain Helicopter tours
In and around Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg TN, helicopter tours are a big thing. We saw 5 or 6 in the two miles from the interstate to our hotel. My mom decided this was the thing to do our first evening in town. Since we had no frame of reference for who was good or who was bad, we just picked the one nearest our hotel and hoped for the best.
It turned out that the nearest was pretty darn good. We found ourselves at Smoky Mountain Helicopter Tours. We initially decided to take a short tour because we weren't sure how TB would do and we weren't sure if MT would get bored. They offer several tours over various parts of the area and we settle on one that took 11 minutes. We went the kids with my dad and brother because mom and I aren't all that interested in flying. The cost was $65 per person for the 11 minute ride. The kids, surprisingly, LOVED it and begged for more.
As we stood there discussing, the guy running the place offered us a buy 3 get one free pass for the rest of the week. Of course, I realize that it was a sales gimmick but still, it ended up being a pretty good deal. We went to dinner and came back at 8 (the suggested time) to partake in the sunset ride. We sent them up for a 30 minute trip, which in the end, proved to be a little too long. MT got bored but that only speaks of her attention span, not the ride itself. The 30 minute trip was $175 per person but we had the one free so it saved us nearly $200. While my mom and I waited on the ground, the guy running the tour was telling us about all the other neat things to do in the area. Although we ended up not getting to do most of them, his suggestions could easily have made an "action adventure" trip all on their own.
Overall, the kids (and my dad and brother) really enjoyed this attraction. I would rank it 4.5 stars because it was fun, interesting, and educational. The only drawback was that it was pricey. You will find this is a standard theme in most of my reviews of this trip.
It turned out that the nearest was pretty darn good. We found ourselves at Smoky Mountain Helicopter Tours. We initially decided to take a short tour because we weren't sure how TB would do and we weren't sure if MT would get bored. They offer several tours over various parts of the area and we settle on one that took 11 minutes. We went the kids with my dad and brother because mom and I aren't all that interested in flying. The cost was $65 per person for the 11 minute ride. The kids, surprisingly, LOVED it and begged for more.
As we stood there discussing, the guy running the place offered us a buy 3 get one free pass for the rest of the week. Of course, I realize that it was a sales gimmick but still, it ended up being a pretty good deal. We went to dinner and came back at 8 (the suggested time) to partake in the sunset ride. We sent them up for a 30 minute trip, which in the end, proved to be a little too long. MT got bored but that only speaks of her attention span, not the ride itself. The 30 minute trip was $175 per person but we had the one free so it saved us nearly $200. While my mom and I waited on the ground, the guy running the tour was telling us about all the other neat things to do in the area. Although we ended up not getting to do most of them, his suggestions could easily have made an "action adventure" trip all on their own.
Overall, the kids (and my dad and brother) really enjoyed this attraction. I would rank it 4.5 stars because it was fun, interesting, and educational. The only drawback was that it was pricey. You will find this is a standard theme in most of my reviews of this trip.
Ober Gatlinburg
We have been traveling in Tennessee this week and I now have several reviews waiting to be written. The first one is Ober Gatlinburg. You start by riding either a ski lift or a gondola car up the side of the mountain (you can also drive but according to the guide in the gondola it is rough on brakes an transmissions and not recommended, do yourself and your car a favor and ride up. The view alone is worth it).
We chose the gondola because my mom can barely handle the ski lift at places like Six Flags, that just go in a circle. Going up the mountain would have killed her. The tram costs $10 for adults, $8.50 for ages 7-11 and under 6 is free. The tram can be done alone or it can serve as merely a gateway to the exhibits at the top of the mountain. Once you get to top, you find a mall with trinket shops, food, and an indoor ice skating rink. You will also be able to buy admission to all of the attractions on top of the mountain. The attractions include a small amusement park, animal enclosure, an alpine slide, and a "spider web" Tickets are $3.50 a piece or a book of ten for $31.50. Most of the rides takes 1 or 2 tickets or you can purchase an all day wrist band. The bands are offered either as an "all day pass", which includes all the outside rides for $20 for adults and and $16 for 7-11 or as an "all activity pass" which includes all the indoor and outdoor for $30 for adults and $25 for 7-11.
They also offer winter sports as weather permits. We, of course being that it is August, were unable to take advantage of those offerings. We chose not to do the ice skating, despite TB's protests because it was $9 per person and I can't ice skate to save my life. We did decide to do the amusement park things, which proved to be less than pleasant. Originally, it was promoted as being something small, maybe taking an hour to complete. After we got to the hotel, there were brochures that showed it to be a much bigger deal, so we allotted half a day for it. Sadly, it ended up more than we thought and less than we hoped for.
The major sticking point proved to be the fact that under 6 can do anything on the mountain, without charge, provided they do it with a paying adult. This is despite other height restrictions and allowances. This was the major issue with our visit because MT wanted to do everything and none of it was really worth the effort for me. They have 3 water slides, which I would have had to change into a swimming suit to do because I have wet clothes issues (totally my own issue). According to one sign, over 42 inches could ride alone. According to another, children had to be 6 to ride without an adult. We asked an employee, who told us the 42 inch was the limit and as long as she met that, she could ride. Hooray, we sent the kids to the top of the slide to ride together only to have TB come down the slide and MT come wailing down the stairs, telling us that the guy at the top told her she needed a parent. After some argument and insisting that a manager get involved, the guy at the bottom took the kids to the top and put them on a slide. They rode a second time and all was right with the world. TB rode one of the other slides a couple of times. He luckily found another boy his age to ride with because, unknown to those of us at the bottom, he had to have someone to ride with because it was a requirement that there were 2 riders per raft.
After that, it was time for a snack and a rest because despite a lovely mild summer back home, the average temps were running in the upper 80s and lower 90s while we were here. After our break, we finished up using our tickets on the bumper cars (small and rickety and crowded) and the pirate ship fun house (house and smelly and too scary for the kids) and hit the tram back down.
Overall, I felt things were poorly maintained, rules were poorly communicated, the rides were far too expensive for the amount of things they offered. This would be an ok attraction for kids in the 7-8 and above range but doesn't cut it for the under 6 crowd, unless you have a parent willing to endure the janky rides for the sake of their kids.
Ober Gatlinburg gets 2 stars as an attraction. The tram ride gets 4 stars, unless you are afraid of heights, then you should probably pass all together.
We chose the gondola because my mom can barely handle the ski lift at places like Six Flags, that just go in a circle. Going up the mountain would have killed her. The tram costs $10 for adults, $8.50 for ages 7-11 and under 6 is free. The tram can be done alone or it can serve as merely a gateway to the exhibits at the top of the mountain. Once you get to top, you find a mall with trinket shops, food, and an indoor ice skating rink. You will also be able to buy admission to all of the attractions on top of the mountain. The attractions include a small amusement park, animal enclosure, an alpine slide, and a "spider web" Tickets are $3.50 a piece or a book of ten for $31.50. Most of the rides takes 1 or 2 tickets or you can purchase an all day wrist band. The bands are offered either as an "all day pass", which includes all the outside rides for $20 for adults and and $16 for 7-11 or as an "all activity pass" which includes all the indoor and outdoor for $30 for adults and $25 for 7-11.
They also offer winter sports as weather permits. We, of course being that it is August, were unable to take advantage of those offerings. We chose not to do the ice skating, despite TB's protests because it was $9 per person and I can't ice skate to save my life. We did decide to do the amusement park things, which proved to be less than pleasant. Originally, it was promoted as being something small, maybe taking an hour to complete. After we got to the hotel, there were brochures that showed it to be a much bigger deal, so we allotted half a day for it. Sadly, it ended up more than we thought and less than we hoped for.
The major sticking point proved to be the fact that under 6 can do anything on the mountain, without charge, provided they do it with a paying adult. This is despite other height restrictions and allowances. This was the major issue with our visit because MT wanted to do everything and none of it was really worth the effort for me. They have 3 water slides, which I would have had to change into a swimming suit to do because I have wet clothes issues (totally my own issue). According to one sign, over 42 inches could ride alone. According to another, children had to be 6 to ride without an adult. We asked an employee, who told us the 42 inch was the limit and as long as she met that, she could ride. Hooray, we sent the kids to the top of the slide to ride together only to have TB come down the slide and MT come wailing down the stairs, telling us that the guy at the top told her she needed a parent. After some argument and insisting that a manager get involved, the guy at the bottom took the kids to the top and put them on a slide. They rode a second time and all was right with the world. TB rode one of the other slides a couple of times. He luckily found another boy his age to ride with because, unknown to those of us at the bottom, he had to have someone to ride with because it was a requirement that there were 2 riders per raft.
After that, it was time for a snack and a rest because despite a lovely mild summer back home, the average temps were running in the upper 80s and lower 90s while we were here. After our break, we finished up using our tickets on the bumper cars (small and rickety and crowded) and the pirate ship fun house (house and smelly and too scary for the kids) and hit the tram back down.
Overall, I felt things were poorly maintained, rules were poorly communicated, the rides were far too expensive for the amount of things they offered. This would be an ok attraction for kids in the 7-8 and above range but doesn't cut it for the under 6 crowd, unless you have a parent willing to endure the janky rides for the sake of their kids.
Ober Gatlinburg gets 2 stars as an attraction. The tram ride gets 4 stars, unless you are afraid of heights, then you should probably pass all together.
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