Sam's Birthday in Gatlinburg

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A March 2012 trip to Gatlinburg by bledpub

Circus Golf Photo - Circus Golf, Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Quote: For my son's 5th birthday, we took him on a trip to Gatlinburg. Fun of all sorts ensued...

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Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede

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Attraction | "Family fun, civil war style "

Quote:

Okay, I have been to the Dixie Stampede many times in the past but this was the first time I had gone with my 5 year old. It was a totally different experience and seeing it through his eyes made it all the better. My son has an aversion to lights and loud noises. I was concerned that this might be too much for him. As it turned out, he's okay with loud noises as long as they are animal related. The show is non-stop action and fun. The action continues while you're eating. It lasted about 1 1/2 hours and they never really stop the whole time. There are challenges, stunts, comedy skits, musical numbers, etc. Yes, some of it is cheesy. We generally don't expect to see Southern Be...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 9, 2012

Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede
3849 Parkway
Pigeon Forge 37868
(800) 536-1673

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Lazerport Fun Center

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Attraction | "It kept US entertained "

Lazerport Photo - Lazerport Fun Center, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Quote:

We are a fairly easy family to entertain. Just give us a few rounds of mini golf and we're fairly happy. This entertainment complex offered a little bit of everything: go-carts, laser tag, mini golf, and an arcade. For $50 I got two armbands that would allow two of us to have two rides each on the go-carts and unlimited mini golf and laser tag.

So, here's the verdict.

My 5 year old son was terrified of the go-carts. Whether this was because they were actually scary or because my husband drove them too fast is anyone's guess. He was not amused. So, we only used one round on it.

He loved the mini golf, though. It's an indoor course with blacklight and since it was raining outside it was good for us. The course was just complicated enough and even with a stroller we were able to navigate it. It took us about 30 minutes to complete it and there were no waits. Being the off season, we had most places to ourselves.

The arcade was a standard arcade. It had skee ball, air hockey, Galaga, and a ticket cash-in counter. Pretty much everything you would expect to find. It kept my kid entertained for a little while.

I was nervous about the laser tag since the go-carts had not gone well. He cried for me to go through with him, even though my husbnd was the one with the wrist band. Since someone had to stay with the baby, we cheated...my husband slid the wristband off and I put it on my own arm and took my son in.

At first, he was scared. There were about 12 of us and they seemed to be college kids and raring to go. We watched a short video and listened to the rules. When we got upstairs to put our laser packs on he almost backed out. The smoke, darkness, and loud music were getting to him. I convinced him to go in, though, and he agreed. He was too little to put on a laser pack since it was kind of heavy. By the end, I was sweating like crazy.

When we got inside the arena, he had a ball. He helped me find people to shoot and helped me dodge a few things myself. The other "kids" were good natured about him. They kind of laughed and joked around with him. A good group overall. The course itself was fun and chalenging and had lots of places to hide and shoot from.

When we left, he wanted to go again. It was a 12 minute course.

I would say that for $50 we didn't get our money's worth. You on;y get the armband for 2 hours and it takes at least 30 minutes to do mini golf. You have to sign up for laser tag and you might not get to go right away. Still, it's a great way to spend a couple of hours on a rainy afternoon. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 9, 2012

Lazerport Fun Center
2782 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
(865) 453-0400

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Gatlinburg Arts and Crafts Community

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Attraction | "The other Gatlinburg"

Gatlinburg Photo - Gatlinburg Arts and Crafts Community, Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Quote:

So here's the thing about downtown Gatlinburg...there's a lot to see and do but for an arts and crafts community very little of it feels authentic. It's just as commercialized as anything else and many of the products are made overseas or by people who don't actually live in the mountains. My favorite stores are the ones like the hiking store that are specialized. The generic souvenir shops, not so much. There is another Gatlinburg, though. When you go to Glades Road and do the 8 mile loop you can see authentic arts and crafts shops that feel a lot more less commercialized. In some cases you can actually see the artisan at work. This area is not always pretty. You'll find lovel...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 9, 2012

Gatlinburg Arts and Crafts Community
Glades Road and Eight Mile Loop
Gatlinburg, Tennessee

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Smoky Mountain Brewery

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Restaurant | "It did the job "

Smoky Mountain Brewery Photo - Smoky Mountain Brewery, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Quote:

We ended up here by default since the mini golf course nearby was being cleaned and this was within walking distance. We had already eaten at the one in Gatlinburg and hadn't been too impressed but decided to give it another try. This one felt more like a resturant while the other one felt more like a hiker's bar. It was too cool for us or maybe we're just getting old. Anyway, this one was flashier and felt more like a bar and grill than a simple bar. When we were seated, I was handed a beer and wine menu. I was surprised. I asked the waitress when Pigeon Forge started serving alcohol. She answered with, "Oh, we're still not allowed t serve alcohol. Just beer and wine." I thoug...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 10, 2012

Smoky Mountain Brewery
2530 Pkwy
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee 37863-7007
8658681400

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Circus Golf

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Attraction | "Not what we expected"

Quote:

We generally try to avoid indoor mini golf unless it's raining outside or really cold. We've yet to find an indoor place that lives up to some of the outdoor courses. It was a little windy, though, and the outside display at Circus Golf looked fun. As soon as we got our tickets though ($32 for two adults and a 5 year old!) we went on inside and were almost immediately disappointed. It was a blacklight golf course. It took a few seconds for our eyes to get adjusted. It was so dark, however, that we couldn't tell where the first hole was. Turns out, we were standing on it as another family, who's had the same problem, helpfully pointed out to us. The area was very small and tight...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 10, 2012

Circus Golf
919 Parkway
Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738
(865) 436-4415